The University of South Florida had a hot commodity on its’ hands in football head coach Willie Taggart. After leading USF to their best record in school history and their second straight bowl appearance, Coach Taggart received the attention of some big name schools.
Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens reportedly met with Taggert in Dallas on Saturday, Dec. 3. Then at a Thursday press conference, Mullens introduced Taggert as the newest Head Coach of the Ducks.
This move, had a big name supporting it. Former Buccaneer’s Head Coach Tony Dungy explained what he thought about the move to ESPN’s Brett McMurphy.
“I certainly think he’s a good fit,” Dungy said. “I had a chance to watch him coach a year when my son played there. I liked his style. I think he’s a guy that can relate to the players very well.
“He’s put together two winning programs (at Western Kentucky and USF). He knows the West Coast, having been (an assistant) at Stanford (from 2007-09). He has all the elements Oregon is looking for. He’s a bright, young coach and it makes him easy to recommend.”
Speculation about possible coaching changes tend to last longer than the search, and once word leaks about who is talking to a school, the hiring comes swiftly. With one of the hot coaching commodities already taken – Temple University’s Matt Rhule was hired at Baylor University – it won’t be long until teams try to get their top choices fast, before other schools can swoop in with a better deal.
Oregon, recently a powerhouse, has had the wheels come off their program this season, with a 4-8 record snapping an 11 year streak of winning seasons. This is also the first year the team went unranked in a season since 2006.
Hiring the new head coach before the bowl games are played, has been done in the past and is a strategy to both to try to remove distractions from the team playing the game, as well as help build the hype of the new fan base, as they will tune in to watch the new head coach in action.
The first bowl games kick off on Dec. 17. The Bulls will take on South Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 29 at 2 PM. Oregon fans will be sure to tune in.